The Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum is an aviation museum located in Oak Harbor, Washington focused on the history of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
  Location within Washington (state) | |
| Established | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Location | Oak Harbor, Washington |
| Coordinates | 48°17′17″N 122°39′16″W / 48.2881°N 122.6544°W |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Website | www |
History
editBackground
editOn September 22, 1998, a group of 14 World War II veterans and their wives met at the Chief Petty Officer Club at NAS Whidbey Island. There they decided to form an organization and the following year they established the PBY Memorial Association[1][2]
The group began an attempt to purchase a PBY in 2002, but it was eventually unsuccessful.[2] In the meantime, it began work on a documentary about the history of Oak Harbor.[3] The group changed its name to the PBY Memorial Foundation in 2003.[2]
Establishment
editThe PBY-Naval Air Museum opened in an abandoned gas station in 2004.[2][1]
Move to NAS Whidbey Island
editThe museum moved into Building 12 on NAS Whidbey Island in February 2008.[4][a] However, the site was less than ideal as security restrictions limited access.[6] In 2010, the museum was finally able to purchase a PBY and it was moved to the base that June.[7] However, plans to acquire a Douglas A-3 Skywarrior were cancelled in 2012.[8]
Move to Oak Harbor
editAfter its lease with the base ended, the museum was forced to move to a 4,500 sq ft (420 m2) former furniture store in downtown Oak Harbor in 2014, where it opened on July 25.[8][9][2] The PBY was towed to a parking lot across the street from the new location in January 2015, where it opened to the public three months later[10][11] The following year it opened a display about navy hospital corpsmen.[12]
The museum began efforts to move what was possibly the last remaining Homoja Hut in 2018 after it was threatened by development.[13]
The museum changed its name to Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum by June 2020.[14]
Construction on a new facility to house the PBY began in August 2023.[15]
Facilities
editThe Gene Guthrie Memorial Library is located at the museum.[16]
Exhibits
editExhibits at the museum include two flight simulators and a nose turret from a PBY.[17] The organization also owns a scale model of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that it takes to parades.[2]
Collection
editEvents
editThe museum holds an annual community luncheon.[19]
See also
editReferences
editFootnotes
editNotes
edit- ^ a b Vannice, James R. (March 5, 2005). "Sound Off: PBY Foundation is Alive and Well". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "History of the Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum". Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "Making History with Dorothy Neil". Whidbey News-Times. November 19, 2002. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "PBY Museum". Whidbey News-Times. October 28, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "Hero of Midway Built Whidbey Base". Whidbey News-Times. June 7, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Hammons, Melanie (January 27, 2012). "Manned Gates Slow Traffic for PBY Museum". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Burnett, Justin (June 29, 2010). "Whidbey PBY Returns to the Seaplane Base". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Reid, Janis (January 16, 2014). "PBY Memorial Takes Flight: Museum Plans to Relocate to Highway 20". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Newberry, Ron (July 29, 2014). "PBY-Naval Air Museum Meets Wide Approval at Grand Opening". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "PBY Catalina an Integral Piece of Whidbey History". Whidbey News-Times. January 27, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Newberry, Ron (April 3, 2015). "PBY-Naval Air Museum Unveils New Aircraft Display in Oak Harbor". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Newberry, Ron (January 29, 2016). "Heroism on Exhibit: Navy Hospital Corpsmen Honored at PBY Museum". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Guido, Laura (August 31, 2018). "Quonset Hut Part of Local History". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Brandon (June 19, 2020). "Naval Air Museum Seeks Donations". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Andrew, Karina (August 29, 2023). "Museum Begins Construction on New Facility". Whidbey News-Times. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ "Resources". Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "Museum Attractions". Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ "Our PBY Aircraft". Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ "9th Annual Community Luncheon". Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum. Retrieved February 6, 2024.